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1 – 10 of over 151000Djoko Setijono and Jens J. Dahlgaard
This paper presents a methodology to nominate and select improvement projects that are perceived as adding value to customers (both internal and external). The structure of the…
Abstract
This paper presents a methodology to nominate and select improvement projects that are perceived as adding value to customers (both internal and external). The structure of the methodology can be explained in three “stages”. First, the methodology suggests a new way of categorizing improvement opportunities, i.e. reactive‐proactive, to “upgrade” the little Q ‐ big Q categorisation. Then, it develops a roadmap that links performance indicators and improvement projects for both reactive and proactive improvements. Finally, it suggests an algorithm to select the improvement project, where the assessment of to what extent the nominated improvement projects add value to customers relies on the comparison between Overall Perceived Benefits (OPB) and Overall Perceived Efforts (OPE). The improvement project perceived as having the largest impact on adding value to customers receives the highest priority.
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Semih Coskun, Huseyin Basligil and Hayri Baracli
Modeling of the methods for providing improvements in business processes by value adding is researched with an integrated approach. The main purpose in this approach is improving…
Abstract
Purpose
Modeling of the methods for providing improvements in business processes by value adding is researched with an integrated approach. The main purpose in this approach is improving the processes by determining and analyzing the weak points and reducing the weakness degrees.
Design/methodology/approach
The designed model determines weak points that need to be improved, analyzes them to find privileged processes in improvement by considering improvement costs and obtains the improvement degrees for defining the improvement strategy by four‐phase business process improvement framework: start‐up, self analysis, defining improvement strategy for making changes, feedback, and continuous improvement.
Findings
The key factor in keeping up with changes in market conditions is systematic application of improvement efforts and providing planned and controlled value addition with these improvements. Decision problems in process improvement can be structured to provide input data suitable for multi‐criteria decision making techniques and results meet the solution expectations.
Research limitations/implications
The reason for using analytical hierarchy process, goal programming, and linear programming model is to select the process and determine its improvement degree. Solving the decision problems by these techniques is a time consuming process, so forming suitable programs with decision support systems will be useful.
Practical implications
The theoretical structure of the modeled techniques in this study was examined with an industrial application. The application process and the results suitability were determined.
Originality/value
The proposed model shows improvement amounts according to the amount of defined importance degrees. It presents an advantage to decision makers by giving concrete improvement values from model results determining their improvement strategies.
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Colm Heavey, Ann Ledwith and Eamonn Murphy
– The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a new framework for continuous improvement.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a new framework for continuous improvement.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature review on customer value and strategic quality provides the basis for the identification of a conceptual framework for continuous improvement. This conceptual framework is validated using the in-depth interview and the survey approach.
Findings
The empirical study concluded that the new framework contains all the core components or forces of continuous improvement. These forces are customer value focused co-leadership, customer value focused strategic objectives, improvement specialists with people performance knowledge and improvement methodology. By adopting this framework, all process personnel can have a role to play in process improvement leading to increased organisational returns on investment. Overall, it is an effective framework that is easily understood and can be applied throughout any process led organisation. This is supported by the empirical data.
Practical implications
This new framework can demonstrate to each organisational employee where they fit into the organisational continuous improvement strategy. This paper provides practitioners with a new validated continuous improvement framework that has application in all organisations that are involved in process customer value improvement. The researchers contend that this new framework can compliment existing continuous improvement frameworks.
Originality/value
This paper develops and validates a new framework for continuous improvement. By adopting this framework, all process personnel can have a role to play in process improvement leading to increased organisational returns on investment. This is supported by the empirical data. Also, the authors contend that this framework embraces the systems thinking approach (Conti, 2010) or systemic approach as people interact with customers, processes, improvement methodologies and each other to drive customer value improvement. Consequently, this generates a need to take global view of the combined effect of all customer value improvement components. This systems thinking can feed into future research.
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Djoko Setijono and Jens J. Dahlgaard
The purpose of the paper is to present a proactive quality costs measurement methodology, which describes the value of quality improvements and the implication of this value on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to present a proactive quality costs measurement methodology, which describes the value of quality improvements and the implication of this value on customers' perception regarding the value of the product.
Design/methodology/approach
By describing the perceived customer value in a dynamic term, it becomes possible to derive an analytical model that recognizes the implication of a company's efforts to improve design quality and conformance quality on product value as perceived by the customers. Quality costs as a performance indicator of improved design quality and conformance quality (as the results of prevention and appraisal activities) can be expressed in terms of value (i.e. a trade‐off between benefits and sacrifices), where the benefits of the improvement include higher product quality and reduction of failure costs. The sacrifices include the costs to perform improvement activities (i.e. prevention and appraisal costs). Expressing quality costs in this way thus establishes a link between a producer's efforts to improve quality and the way customers perceive the value of the product. The developed methodology of proactive quality cost measurement has been applied for collecting, measuring, and reporting quality costs in a Swedish wood‐flooring manufacturing company.
Findings
Transforming quality cost measurements into value provides a better explanation regarding the effect of prevention and appraisal activities on the quality improvement indicators. Thus, the value of quality improvements is a measure of return on quality improvements (ROQI), which indicates whether the quality improvement efforts gave higher, fair, or lower return.
Originality/value
This paper develops and discusses a model of customer value by accommodating its relative nature, and presents a proactive way of measuring quality costs (i.e. value‐oriented and customer‐oriented).
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This paper focuses on the “how” of business analytics (BA) value creation, which remains an open research problem and a practical challenge. The main purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper focuses on the “how” of business analytics (BA) value creation, which remains an open research problem and a practical challenge. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a novel BA value creation mechanism that is BA-enabled improvement of Knowledge-intensive Business Processes (KIBPs), with experiential knowledge of decision makers as the key to a more sustainable BA-enabled competitive differentiation.
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses a qualitative research case study, conducted in a large retail distribution company. The research insights were observed through a combined lens of work systems theory and the knowledge-based view (KBV) of the firm, using an interpretive approach.
Findings
The proposed theoretical model identifies three stages of KIBP improvement through BA and explains how they lead to a sustainable BA-enabled competitive differentiation. Stage 1 focusses on BA support for individual knowledge-intensive tasks, Stage 2 focusses on individual decision makers and their ability to gain KIBP-related analytical insights and turn them into action; and Stage 3 on sharing of the acquired experiential knowledge amongst decision makers using BA.
Originality/value
In addition to proposing a novel mechanism for BA value creation, this research demonstrates the importance of leveraging experiential knowledge of decision makers as a pathway to a more sustainable competitive differentiation through BA. This, in turn, creates new opportunities for knowledge management researchers to engage in BA-related research. It also opens a new approach for BA researchers to investigate BA value creation mechanisms through the lens of KBV, rather than more common resource-based or capability-based views.
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Raewyn Fortes and Iona McCarthy
The primary purpose of this paper is to test an appropriate methodology for quantifying a return to residential property homeowners who were committed to make improvements to…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this paper is to test an appropriate methodology for quantifying a return to residential property homeowners who were committed to make improvements to their homes prior to placing on the market for sale.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a pilot study where empirical data were collected via two survey instruments from nine homeowners within the Horowhenua/Manawatu region of New Zealand. Market values of the properties before and after home improvement were assessed using a variety of market value measures including a valuation by a registered valuer, property owner's assessment and sale price.
Findings
The findings reveal that both the registered valuations and the property owner's assessment of expected sale price was within the range ±8 per cent of the final sale price. Seven of the nine houses included in this pilot study showed a positive return on time and money invested in minor home improvements.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations relate to the dated data, small sample size and geographical spread of the sample. The time and cost required to gather home improvement activity data is another limitation.
Practical implications
Potential exists for the model developed in this paper to be replicated internationally. This paper supports the view that homeowners who are actively involved in the real estate market have an accurate assessment of the value of their own homes. Improvements increase the quality and condition of existing residential housing stocks. Minor improvements are often overlooked due to the cost of gathering data. This paper encourages further studies of minor improvement expenditure on residential property.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the body of renovation literature as the data collection was conducted at the time improvements were being made, thus reducing response errors. The inclusion of comprehensive valuation reports by registered valuers increased the reliability of market value assessments. Research in this area is useful to provide greater understanding of the benefits of minor improvement expenditure.
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Carl Marcus Wallenburg and Peter Lukassen
The purpose of this paper is to provide a differentiated view of relationship‐specific proactive improvement of logistics service providers (LSPs) that distinguishes between the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a differentiated view of relationship‐specific proactive improvement of logistics service providers (LSPs) that distinguishes between the cost and performance and the effect that these two dimensions of innovation have on three distinct customer loyalty dimensions (retention, extension, and referrals).
Design/methodology/approach
A confirmatory empirical study was conducted based on social exchange theory and customer value theory. The survey responses from 298 firms were analysed using structural equation modelling and multi‐group analysis to test for direct effects and moderation.
Findings
Both dimensions of relationship‐specific proactive improvement by LSPs (cost and performance) are strong drivers of all three customer loyalty dimensions and, thus, are important to customer relationship management and relevant areas to be considered within innovation management. The effect on customer loyalty is moderated by the dynamism of the customer's market. Proactive cost improvements are more important under high dynamism, while proactive performance improvements, contrary to initial assumptions, are more important when dynamism is low.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should analyse other cultural settings, differentiate between functional and relationship value provided, consider other services, investigate how LSPs can facilitate proactive improvement and improve innovation management, and explore how customers can foster proactive improvement.
Practical implications
The currently low level of proactive improvement should be increased if LSPs want to enhance customer loyalty. In doing so, LSPs ought to consider the dynamism of their customers' markets.
Originality/value
The paper is the first to provide a differentiated view on the role of relationship‐specific proactive innovation that distinguishes between cost and performance improvements and illustrates their effects on three distinct customer loyalty dimensions.
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Property valuers are often asked to allocate portions of the market value of a property to parts of the subject property. This paper aims to illustrate that the market value of a…
Abstract
Purpose
Property valuers are often asked to allocate portions of the market value of a property to parts of the subject property. This paper aims to illustrate that the market value of a property cannot be divided into a market value for the land and a market value for the improvement.
Design/methodology/approach
Apportionment methods that exist in practice are briefly addressed and shortcomings are identified. Also theory that was developed for valuation and apportionment purposes is discussed and evaluated. From a combination of theory and practice conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made.
Findings
The combination of theory and practice show that the existing apportionment methods are unreliable tools for property analysis. Some suggestions are made concerning tools that might replace apportionment in property analysis.
Practical implications
Apportionment plays an important role in property investment and finance decisions. Due to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) apportionment will have a strong role to play in financial reporting and through this it will influence management and investment decisions indirectly. This paper shows that apportionment methods are not reliable and that important decisions should not be based on results from apportionment methods. Valuers should no longer supply these apportionments unless the client fully understands the shortcomings of the method used. On the other hand, clients, their advisors and auditors should no longer ask for value apportionments, as there are far more reliable alternatives.
Originality/value
The property profession has been struggling with apportionment theory for years. At this time IFRS introduces a strong need for value apportionment. Therefore, this is the time for the property profession to thoroughly investigate the shortcomings of existing apportionment methods and to come up with alternatives. This paper is an attempt to do just that.
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To develop an innovative methodology to apply lean value chain improvement techniques to a complete supply chain for a food product from farm to consumer.
Abstract
Purpose
To develop an innovative methodology to apply lean value chain improvement techniques to a complete supply chain for a food product from farm to consumer.
Design/methodology/approach
Action research based on a UK case study involving farmers, a food processor and a major retailer.
Findings
Value stream analysis (VCA) highlights significant opportunities to improve supply chain performance, profitability and relationships.
Research limitations/implications
Lean/VCA methodologies can be readily applied to the retail and processor elements of food chains. However, further research is required to apply the concepts to farm operations.
Practical implications
Subsequent to this research, VCA techniques have been increasingly adopted in UK agri‐food sectors including meat, dairy, cereals and horticulture.
Originality/value
Application of lean concepts and VCA in the agri‐food sector. Development of a multi‐echelon supply chain improvement methodology.
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Xiaoping Shen, Yeheng Zhang, Yumei Tang, Yuanfu Qin, Nan Liu and Zelong Yi
This paper, with the tobacco industry as the background, establishes an indicator system for tobacco supply chain performance evaluation using the FAHP method.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper, with the tobacco industry as the background, establishes an indicator system for tobacco supply chain performance evaluation using the FAHP method.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the relevant data of tobacco enterprises in Guangxi, the paper calculates the performance values of tobacco companies in various cities of Guangxi, and through the analysis of each indicator and the performance values of each city, the authors find that the improvement ability has a major impact on tobacco supply chain performance. Then, the paper establishes a system dynamics model to further demonstrate the impact of information digitalization on the performance of the tobacco supply chain in Guangxi, thus providing theoretical support for building digital tobacco logistics in Guangxi.
Findings
The findings of the study show that the performance of the tobacco supply chains in various cities of Guangxi is generally at the level of “Pass–Good,” which can barely meet the requirements of tobacco supply chain operation, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Originality/value
The authors show that digital and IT-based empowerment can maximize the performance of Guangxi's tobacco logistics performance.
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